What's a collection of swords without a blade wreathed in flame?
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Fire has always been tied to the act of forging. Every sword ever made begins and ends in flame. The first step is heating the steel until it's malleable enough to shape, and the final step is tempering: reheating the hardened blade to relieve internal stresses. This slightly softens the steel, making it tough and flexible enough to survive combat without shattering. It feels natural, then, that mythology would imagine a sword that never truly leaves the fire of the forge.
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I think we also have a bit of a primal fascination with fire swords. Naturally, I started thinking about a blade that looked like a lick of flame, so I chose a falchion. Falchions are built for cutting, and they've always struck me as incredibly brutal weapons. Wide, forward-weighted, and designed with a singular purpose. If a sword was surrounded by living fire, I imagined it would amplify that purpose rather than fight against it.
So, to me, a sword wreathed in flame should be the ultimate cutting weapon. In reality, it probably wouldn't be able to hold an edge because of the heat, but sometimes myth is stronger than reality.
That inspiration also drove the shape language of the sword itself. I wanted an asymmetrical silhouette that echoed the movement of a flickering flame.
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I also wanted to experiment with creating a convincing glow effect in the rendering and show the gradual cooling of the metal as it transitions from the blazing tip toward the hilt. It was fun to explore hilt shapes that echoed the rhythm of the curved blade, and I really like how the glowing runes turned out. It's always fun to invent magical runes.
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According to legend, this blade was wielded by a renowned warrior who eventually ascended to godhood. After suffering a great tragedy, he descended into the Hells and slew countless demons with his falchion. Those battles forever tempered the blade into Cinderbrand. Demons and devils alike still fear its name, and the fire kindled by that unrelenting rage has never gone out. own.

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